From its bravura opening onwards, THE CROW ROAD is justly regarded as an outstanding contemporary novel.

'It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach's Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.'

Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God and illegal substances...

On 2nd November, Abacus will publish a special anniversary edition of The Crow Road. Available from all good retailers.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2017/10/25/25th-anniversary-edition-of-the-crow-road/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2017/10/25/25th-anniversary-edition-of-the-crow-road/Ken McLeod's introduction to Poems, published todayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/Fg3d7-P1ZgE/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2015/02/16/ken-mcleods-introduction-to-poems-published-today/#respondMon, 16 Feb 2015 16:52:36 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1704Iain Banks the literary novelist and Iain M. Banks the science-fiction writer are too well known to need introduction, but Iain Banks the poet has hitherto been almost undetected. A single poem, ‘041’, published in a poetry magazine; two poems (‘“Slight Mechanical Destruction”’ and ‘Zakalwe’s Song’) book-ending Use of Weapons; some lines from ‘Feu de Joie’ (which he excluded from this collection) embedded in The Crow Road (and with much more of its content saturating A Song of Stone) have been his only publications. But he took his poetry seriously and worked on it carefully, though he shared the results (about which he had no false modesty) mainly with friends.

As can be seen from the dates, Iain started writing poetry almost as soon as he arrived in high school, and continued until 1981. Why he stopped I can only speculate. The manuscript – handwritten, contents-listed, page-numbered – of the collection, characteristically titled poems where the heart is, from which he selected (and sometimes slightly but significantly revised) the poems here, has something of a sense of completion.

Readers of Banks’s prose will find in these poems many aspects of his writing with which they’re already familiar: a humane and materialist sensibility, an unflinching stare at the damage people can do to each other, a warm appreciation of the joy they can give to each other, a revel in language, a geologically informed gaze on land and sea,a continued meditation on what it means for us to be mortal embodied minds with a fleeting but consequent existence between abysses of deep time.

I too started writing poems in high school, and I’ve continued to write them, on and off, since. Only ‘Faith as a Grain of Poppy Seed’ has been published in a poetry magazine; others have appeared in publications of various science-fiction communities and conventions, and one, ‘Erosion’, was included in the text of my novel Intrusion.

Some time in 2012, well before he had any inkling of his illness, Iain said to me that he wanted to see his poems and mine published, preferably together. I demurred; he insisted, and I agreed. He had the risible notion that my poems would provide his with some kind of covering fire. I think the truth is quite the reverse, but in defence of my works’ inclusion I can say that – because over the years we read and discussed each other’s poems – there is an element of dialogue and evidence of mutual influence.

He continued to work on this project during his illness. A few final revisions to a handful of poems were only found after Iain’s death, and I’ve incorporated them here. For finding the final corrections and the original manuscripts, and for much else, I thank Adele.

Ken MacLeod,

2014

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2015/02/16/ken-mcleods-introduction-to-poems-published-today/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2015/02/16/ken-mcleods-introduction-to-poems-published-today/Walking on Glass walkhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/r3E3qDPnXAg/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/05/09/walking-on-glass-walk/#respondFri, 09 May 2014 15:58:30 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1674Starting at 3:33 pm on June 28th there will be a walk following Graham Park's route from the Iain Banks book Walking on Glass.

The date and time come from the book and the anniversary is on a Saturday this year. Gather from 3:15pm at the corner of Theobald's Road (south side) and Southampton Row (east side) near the old Central St Martin's site just up from Holborn tube station.

After following Graham's route from the book the plan is to head up Upper Street to visit more locations from the book and the author's life finishing after about three hours at the Hope & Anchor near where Banks wrote the first draft of The Wasp Factory.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/05/09/walking-on-glass-walk/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/05/09/walking-on-glass-walk/The Quarry is out in paperback nowhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/dEzbbhTRmkE/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/03/28/the-quarry-is-out-in-paperback-now/#respondFri, 28 Mar 2014 11:12:08 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1660Iain Banks's last novel, The Quarry, is out now in paperback.

The Quarry is the story of a dying man and his only son, six old friends, a missing videotape and a reunion in a crumbling house on the edge of a quarry.

First published in hardback and ebook last year, here's what critics had to say:

'A quietly incendiary piece of writing, at times heartbreaking, at other times really wonderfully funny ... a profoundly humane, funny and smart novel.'Independent

'Wonderfully exuberant ... written with the life-enhancing verve characteristic of Banks's best work.' Scotsman

'His final novel is shot through with Banks's trademark humour, political engagement and hope' Louise Welsh, Times

'Infallibly entertaining'Telegraph

'Banks's relaxed fluency - the direct, funny, unpretentious intelligence of his writing, which, along with his teeming imagination, made him perhaps Britain's best-loved major contemporary novelist.Guardian

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/03/28/the-quarry-is-out-in-paperback-now/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/03/28/the-quarry-is-out-in-paperback-now/The Wasp Factory – one of 50 life-changing books for teenshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/-B1-6xxfMzg/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/03/06/the-wasp-factory-one-of-50-life-changing-books-for-teens/#respondThu, 06 Mar 2014 10:34:03 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1635The Wasp Factory has been voted one of the top 50 books that help shape and inspire teenage lives the most, in a public vote held to mark World Book Day today. Thousands of adults and teenagers in the UK voted in the 'Writes of Passage' initiative, intended to create the ultimate list of 50 recommended reads for teens.

Adele Banks said "I know that Iain would have been flattered and delighted to see The Wasp Factory still enticing and thrilling readers a mere 30 years after its first publication."

The full list of 50 is split into the following categories:

Books that will change the way you think
Books that will help you understand you
Books that will make you cry
Books that will make you laugh
Books that will scare you
Books that will teach you about love
Books that will thrill you
Books that will transport you

World Book Day is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide with a main aim in UK and Ireland to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/03/06/the-wasp-factory-one-of-50-life-changing-books-for-teens/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/03/06/the-wasp-factory-one-of-50-life-changing-books-for-teens/Iain Banks publication in 2015 & tribute from Simon Pegghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/6_FLraWe1ek/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/02/16/iain-banks-publication-in-2015-tribute-from-simon-pegg/#respondSun, 16 Feb 2014 08:30:10 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1608Our much loved and admired author, Iain Banks would have celebrated his 60th birthday today, Sunday 16th February. To mark the date, Little, Brown is delighted to announce that in February 2015, we will publish a collection of Iain and Ken Macleod’s poems, edited by Ken.

Simon Pegg, a long-standing fan of Iain’s work, said this month:

‘Whenever I am asked about a favourite book, I immediately think of The Wasp Factory. Iain Banks’ beguiling novel is a funny, terrifying, beautiful piece of writing; a story told through the complex, compartmentalised thoughts of a calmly amoral, occasionally homicidal child, no more guilty of insanity than the questionable authority figures that surround this fractured youth. The Wasp Factory has stayed with me since the first of several reads and haunts me still, buried in my brain like maggots, the images appearing in my mind's eye like so many burning sheep on the horizon.

If I had only read this one book of Iain's and not devoured and enjoyed much of his other work, he would still be one of my all-time favourite authors.’

Many fans continue to leave messages and tributes to Iain on the Banksophilia website set up by Iain’s friends. http://friends.banksophilia.com/guestbook/

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/02/16/iain-banks-publication-in-2015-tribute-from-simon-pegg/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2014/02/16/iain-banks-publication-in-2015-tribute-from-simon-pegg/Two Iain Banks Novels Make Top 10 Scottish Bookshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/GalK0YBvRcU/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/11/29/two-iain-banks-novels-make-top-10-scottish-books/#respondFri, 29 Nov 2013 11:21:53 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1603Iain Banks' books account for two of the top ten books Scottish novels of the last 50 years as voted by the public.

As part of Book Week Scotland 2013, The Scottish Books Trust conducted a poll to find the 10 Favourite Scottish Novels of the Last 50 Years. Members of the public were invited to visit the Book Week Scotland website to choose from a shortlist of 50 titles compiled by author and literary critic Stuart Kelly in collaboration with Scottish Book Trust. The shortlisted novels were carefully selected in an attempt to reflect the depth and breadth of the journey Scottish writing has taken over the last half century.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/11/29/two-iain-banks-novels-make-top-10-scottish-books/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/11/29/two-iain-banks-novels-make-top-10-scottish-books/Asteroid Named After Iain Bankshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/-VjVo4X8Jg8/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/07/04/asteroid-named-after-iain-banks/#respondThu, 04 Jul 2013 12:04:31 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1588In recent months, the astronomer José Luis Galache at the Minor Planet Center put forth a request that an asteroid be named after Iain M. Banks. Sadly, it was too late for Iain to hear of it, but on the 23rd of June this was approved by the International Astronomical Union.

Asteroid Iainbanks now resides in the Main Asteroid Belt of the Sol system; with a size of 6.1 km (3.8 miles), it takes 3.94 years to complete a revolution around the Sun. It is most likely of a stony composition.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/07/04/asteroid-named-after-iain-banks/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/07/04/asteroid-named-after-iain-banks/Iain Banks Walkhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/rYjq1evmShU/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/06/17/iain-banks-walk/#respondMon, 17 Jun 2013 08:30:14 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1569Some of Iain Banks' most avid readers have organised a commemorative walk in London on the 29th of June.

Iain Banks's second published novel, Walking on Glass, has three interlinked storylines. One of these has chapter names which are the roads in London that the character Graham Park walks in his journey from Theobald's Road to Half Moon Crescent. This is an area that Iain was familiar with especially the final chapter that takes Graham to Upper Street / Regent's Canal, and after the storyline walk we can pop into the Camden Head, which is mentioned in the book. From there we can venture further north to find other related locations, and the plan is to finish in the Hope & Anchor which was somewhere Iain drank when he lived in Islington Park Street.

Meet at the corner of Southampton Row / Theobald's Road (nearest tube: Holborn) at 13:00 on Saturday 29th June, this is a day after the 30th anniversary of when the walk takes place in the book. Bring a copy to follow Graham's walk and see where the different story lines interlink with each other and the author's life.

After a couple of surgical procedures, I am gradually recovering from jaundice caused by a blocked bile duct, but that - it turns out - is the least of my problems.

I first thought something might be wrong when I developed a sore back in late January, but put this down to the fact I'd started writing at the beginning of the month and so was crouched over a keyboard all day. When it hadn't gone away by mid-February, I went to my GP, who spotted that I had jaundice. Blood tests, an ultrasound scan and then a CT scan revealed the full extent of the grisly truth by the start of March.

I have cancer. It started in my gall bladder, has infected both lobes of my liver and probably also my pancreas and some lymph nodes, plus one tumour is massed around a group of major blood vessels in the same volume, effectively ruling out any chance of surgery to remove the tumours either in the short or long term.

The bottom line, now, I'm afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I'm expected to live for 'several months' and it’s extremely unlikely I'll live beyond a year. So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.

As a result, I've withdrawn from all planned public engagements and I've asked my partner Adele if she will do me the honour of becoming my widow (sorry - but we find ghoulish humour helps). By the time this goes out we'll be married and on a short honeymoon. We intend to spend however much quality time I have left seeing friends and relations and visiting places that have meant a lot to us. Meanwhile my heroic publishers are doing all they can to bring the publication date of my new novel forward by as much as four months, to give me a better chance of being around when it hits the shelves.

There is a possibility that it might be worth undergoing a course of chemotherapy to extend the amount of time available. However that is still something we're balancing the pros and cons of, and anyway it is out of the question until my jaundice has further and significantly, reduced.
Lastly, I'd like to add that from my GP onwards, the professionalism of the medics involved - and the speed with which the resources of the NHS in Scotland have been deployed - has been exemplary, and the standard of care deeply impressive. We're all just sorry the outcome hasn't been more cheerful.

A website is being set up where friends, family and fans can leave messages for me and check on my progress. It should be up and running during this week and a link to it will be here on my official website as soon as it’s ready.

Iain’s novel The Quarry has been delivered and will be published this year.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/04/03/a-personal-statement-from-iain-banks/feed/145https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/04/03/a-personal-statement-from-iain-banks/Banksonian #19 Available Nowhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/AEVtwVHjYbQ/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/02/22/banksonian-19-available-now/#respondFri, 22 Feb 2013 14:50:43 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1555David H, the editor of the Banksonian Fanzine, has been in touch to let us know the newest issue is available to download from efanzine.org.

This edition looks back at 2012 but also forward into 2013 and beyond. He talks about the covers makeover on backlist reissues of Iain Banks' (non M) titles and has a full publicity round up.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/02/22/banksonian-19-available-now/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2013/02/22/banksonian-19-available-now/Iain M Banks on The Book Cafehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/HjFz4x-LULo/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/10/17/iain-m-banks-on-the-book-cafe/#respondWed, 17 Oct 2012 16:26:52 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1544On Monday the 8th of October, Iain M Banks appeared on BBC's Book Cafe, discussing his newest book The Hydrogen Sonata.

You can listen to a clip from the show with Iain's interview on the BBC Radio website here.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/10/17/iain-m-banks-on-the-book-cafe/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/10/17/iain-m-banks-on-the-book-cafe/Stonemouth reviewshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/_LC_kMfzu7Q/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/04/04/stonemouth-reviews/#respondWed, 04 Apr 2012 15:54:40 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1466Stonemouth is published tomorrow, and to whet your appetite, here's a round-up of what the critics have been saying so far:

‘There is more than a shade of Pip and Estella in Stewart and Ellie, and to create an emotionally satisfying while intellectually convincing ending is a rare achievement’ Guardian

‘The storytelling is very, very smooth.. One of his best’ Evening Standard

‘Addictive, funny, and brilliantly observed’ Daily Mail

‘This is Banks at his waspish, intelligent, nuanced best. His fans will give thanks’ Scotland on Sunday

‘…it’s tender, and funny, and heart-stopping-ly exciting. I finished it on a high that gave way rapidly to bereavement – as if I were eight again and had just finished Five Go to Smuggler’s Top’ The Times

Thanks to everyone who entered our competition to win a signed proof of Iain Banks new novel Stonemouth. We had some great answers to why you'd like to review it (as well as some helpful spelling advice on the word 'receive':-)). And now, without further ado, the winners are . . .

Seth DeHaan
Gordon Ritchie
Jason Cordes
Louise Hunter
Vanessa Round

Congratulations! Your proofs are on their way to you as we speak - looking forward to hearing what you think!

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/02/02/stonemouth-competition-the-winners/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/02/02/stonemouth-competition-the-winners/Iain Banks Appearances in Spring 2012http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/WvRASl-4Njs/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/01/30/appearances-in-spring-2012/#respondMon, 30 Jan 2012 14:49:44 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1411Spring is nearly here, and with it comes the much-anticipated Stonemouth - Iain Banks' new novel set in an estuary town in far-north Scotland. To support the release of the novel, Iain will be appearing at a number of events around the UK, including:

Iain Banks returns in April with his new novel - a dark, fast-paced and brilliant thriller that deals with adolescence, love and vengeance, and the perils of coming home.

We're very excited about it, and with less than three months to wait until Stonemouth is released on the 5th of April, the countdown to publication has well and truly begun. We have a limited amount of signed and numbered reading copies of Stonemouth to giveaway to 5 readers - all we ask in return is for the lucky recipients to let us know what they think of it once they've read it!

To win one of the copies, just fill in the form below and tell us why you'd like to recieve a proof copy. We'll choose the 5 best ones and put the winners names on the website. Once the winners have written their review, they can just send it to us and we'll post them here. The review can be as long or short as you like, though the more in depth the better. No spoilers though! For terms and conditions see here.

The competition has now closed. The winners will be contacted via email shortly. Good luck to all who entered!

World Book Night 2012 will be held on April 23, and they’re looking for 20,000 ‘givers’ to volunteer. These givers will have the opportunity to give away twenty-four copies each as a way to share their enthusiasm for The Player of Games.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/01/06/interviewed-by-albedo-one/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2012/01/06/interviewed-by-albedo-one/Iain Banks on BBC Radio 6 Musichttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/aYeLqrsPRaE/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/11/22/bbcradio/#respondTue, 22 Nov 2011 12:03:08 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1324This Sunday, 27th of November, tune in at 12pm to hear Iain Banks on BBC Radio 6 Music as he takes listeners through an hour of music as part of the BBC 6 Paperback Writers programme.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/11/22/bbcradio/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/11/22/bbcradio/The Wasp Factory – Jim Naughtie's Radio 4 Book Club reporthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/8kwdnX-QkCQ/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/11/18/the-wasp-factory-jim-naughties-radio-4-book-club-report/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2011 15:18:51 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1319The Wasp Factory was featured on Jim Naughtie's Radio 4 Book Club last week, and Jim has written about his conversation with Iain on his Book Club blog.

"The book is a picture of disturbance, a kind of punk's-eye view of the world, which is a place of gothic horror and badness. Yet, as Iain told us, "Frank thinks he is relatively normal - it's as simple as that."

For the full report, see here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/2011/11/bookclub_the_wasp_factory.html

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/11/18/the-wasp-factory-jim-naughties-radio-4-book-club-report/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/11/18/the-wasp-factory-jim-naughties-radio-4-book-club-report/The Player of Games Audio Shortlisted for Galaxy Awardhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/jKWfmTR-ceM/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/10/17/the-player-of-games-audio-shortlisted-for-galaxy-award/#commentsMon, 17 Oct 2011 12:04:00 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1306The shortlists for the 2011 Galaxy Awards have been announced today, and The Player of Games, read by Peter Kenny, has been nominated for the Audible.co.uk Best Audiobook Award.

This year's awards will be announced on 4th November. In the meantime, The Player of Games is available as an audio download from Audible.co.uk, Audible.com (for US-based listeners) and the iTunes store.

"I'm patron of a local charity for victims of abuse called Safe Space. They've just brought out a booklet of writing by some of the survivors and I've written the foreword. The booklet costs £5.00, is called 'The Hope of Diamonds' and the address of:

"Season 16 Episode 6 sees Suzi Perry and Ortis Deley create their own interactive e-books, using digital technology to revamp two classic novels - Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days and Bram Stoker's Dracula. Best-selling author Iain Banks judges the results of their task. Repeated on Saturday 24 at 04:30 and 10:50."

Many thanks as usual to The Banksoniain's David H for the heads-up.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/09/14/iain-banks-on-channel-5s-gadget-show-23-sept-2011/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/09/14/iain-banks-on-channel-5s-gadget-show-23-sept-2011/Iain Banks at Get Moray Reading Book Festivalhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/Ib13-SvjRTY/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/09/02/iain-banks-at-get-moray-reading-book-festival/#respondFri, 02 Sep 2011 11:18:52 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1246Iain Banks will be one of the major names appearing at this year's Get Moray Reading Book Festival, which runs from 21st - 24th September.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/09/02/iain-banks-at-get-moray-reading-book-festival/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/09/02/iain-banks-at-get-moray-reading-book-festival/Banks for World Book Nighthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/SBYOh7BsJcA/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/07/21/banks-for-world-book-night/#respondThu, 21 Jul 2011 09:27:00 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1241The Wasp Factory has made it onto the top 100 long-list for World Book Night.

If you're as keen as we are to see a Banks book on the final list of 25 that will be sent out to thousands of participating readers, you can do your bit to make that happen by creating an account on the worldbooknight.org website and then choosing The Wasp Factory as one of your favourite books.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/07/08/live-iain-banks-webchat-13-00-bst-today-friday-8th-july/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/07/08/live-iain-banks-webchat-13-00-bst-today-friday-8th-july/Iain [M] Banks at the 2011 Edinburgh Book Festivalhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/_K9aXZp8OaY/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/06/20/iain-m-banks-at-the-2011-edinburgh-book-festival/#respondMon, 20 Jun 2011 10:12:48 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1230The 2011 Edinburgh Book Festival programme has been published and from it we learn that Iain Banks will be appearing at the RBS Main Theatre on Thursday 18th August, from 8.00pm - 9.00pm in an event titled 'What Lies Beneath the Surface Detail'.

Tickets for the event are £10.00 and will be on sale from 8.30am on Sunday 26th June.

There's also a rumour on Twitter that Alex Salmond will be conducting the interview on the night.

[Many thanks to David H of The Banksoniain for the heads-up on all of the above.]

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/06/20/iain-m-banks-at-the-2011-edinburgh-book-festival/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/06/20/iain-m-banks-at-the-2011-edinburgh-book-festival/Use of Weapons tops 'Best Sci-Fi Films Never Made' pollhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/xvCfUOriCrw/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/05/11/use-of-weapons-tops-poll-of-best-sci-fi-films-never-made/#commentsWed, 11 May 2011 11:54:02 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1207UK-based tech news website The Register has been running an online poll, asking it's readers to nominate the 'best sci-fi films never made'; books that have so far, somehow, been over-looked by Hollywood's movie moguls in favour of yet a.n.other sequel and / or re-hash.

And the winner, by a significant margin, was our very own Iain M. Banks' Use of Weapons.

The Register reports:

"The 50 candidates attracted a whopping 27,088 votes, with the winner securing 10,032. Runner-up was Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's The Mote In God's Eye, which was honoured with 7,099 votes. You can see the full results right here.

Worth noting that Consider Phlebas, Excession, The Player of Games and The Algebraist also featured, polling a few hundred votes between them. But it's clearly Use of Weapons that people want to see on the big screen.

Hollywood movie moguls, take note!

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/05/11/use-of-weapons-tops-poll-of-best-sci-fi-films-never-made/feed/2https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/05/11/use-of-weapons-tops-poll-of-best-sci-fi-films-never-made/Iain [M] Banks Events in June 2011http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/2Oo8_CYot4w/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/04/12/iain-m-banks-events-in-june-2011/#commentsTue, 12 Apr 2011 11:17:15 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1201Iain will be out and about in June to support the paperback publication of Surface Detail and the appearances page of the site has been updated with details of the following events:

Friday 3rd June: Alt Fiction, Leicester

Sunday 5th June: Hay Festival

Monday 6th June: British Library (with Francis Spufford)

Saturday 11th June: The Sage, Gateshead

As always, please check the individual event organisers' websites for ticket prices and other relevant information.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/04/12/iain-m-banks-events-in-june-2011/feed/2https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/04/12/iain-m-banks-events-in-june-2011/Iain Banks at Word 2011, Aberdeen, May 13thhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/vPwRMM0KAUs/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/03/24/iain-banks-at-word-2011-aberdeen-may-13th/#respondThu, 24 Mar 2011 16:15:51 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1190Iain Banks will be appearing at this year's Word, the University of Aberdeen Writers Festival, on Friday 13th May at 7.00 p.m. Tickets for the event, priced £8 (£6 concessions), go on sale on Monday 28th March.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/03/24/iain-banks-at-word-2011-aberdeen-may-13th/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/03/24/iain-banks-at-word-2011-aberdeen-may-13th/Iain Banks on Desert Island Discs, August 1997http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/suohkvS80es/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/02/10/iain-banks-on-desert-island-discs-august-1997/#respondThu, 10 Feb 2011 10:28:31 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1181The BBC iPlayer archive has dug up Iain Banks' guest appearance on the Desert Island Discs show, from way back in August 1997.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer to hear presenter Sue Lawley quiz Iain on what he would have taken to his hypothetical desert island at the back end of the nineties...

[Thanks to David H of The Banksoniain for the heads-up]

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/02/10/iain-banks-on-desert-island-discs-august-1997/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/02/10/iain-banks-on-desert-island-discs-august-1997/Iain Banks Interviewed for Open Universityhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/-g8fznnL0kY/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/28/iain-banks-interviewed-for-open-university-course/#respondFri, 28 Jan 2011 12:53:10 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1176Iain Banks has been interviewed by Derek Neale, Open University lecturer in Creative Writing, for the OU's OpenLearn website.

Here's the video recording of the interview (available via YouTube) which took place at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last year. Derek talks to Iain about various topics, including the digitisation of books, his writing process and the impact of world events on his work.

An audio recording of the interview is also available via audioboo.fm.

Many thanks indeed to David H (editor of Iain Banks fanzine The Banksonian) for the heads-up!

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/28/iain-banks-interviewed-for-open-university-course/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/28/iain-banks-interviewed-for-open-university-course/http://audioboo.fm/boos/263163-author-iain-banks-in-converstion-with-the-open-university.mp3?source=embedIain Banks and Ken MacLeod at AyeWrite! 2011http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/Z0OoBpqKjBA/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/28/iain-banks-and-ken-macleod-at-ayewrite-2011/#respondFri, 28 Jan 2011 12:34:57 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1170Iain [M] Banks and Ken MacLeod have been confirmed for an event at this year's Aye Write! Glasgow Book Festival, which takes place from Friday 4th - Saturday 12th March.

Visit www.ayewrite.com for more information on the event, plus ticket booking details.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/28/iain-banks-and-ken-macleod-at-ayewrite-2011/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/28/iain-banks-and-ken-macleod-at-ayewrite-2011/Banks fans on turning Science Fiction into Science Facthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/SmyJi5lktoM/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/17/banks-fans-on-turning-science-fiction-into-science-fact/#respondMon, 17 Jan 2011 15:30:11 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1162Mat McD sent in a link back in December (apologies for the delay in posting, Mat, it's been manic these past few weeks).

I'll let Mat explain:

At the book launch for the new Culture novel Surface Detail by Iain M Banks I asked people one question:

What do they want to see become science fact?

Initially inspired by the 50 people 1 question films by Deltree I thought that an audience gathered to see the most successful science fiction author since Asimov could be fertile ground for thoughtful comments on the future.

Many thanks to all contributors and the De La Warr Pavilion management for letting me shoot.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/17/banks-fans-on-turning-science-fiction-into-science-fact/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2011/01/17/banks-fans-on-turning-science-fiction-into-science-fact/Player of Games Audio Download Now Availablehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/aiGYjqo00Yc/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/12/03/player-of-games-audio-download-now-available/#respondFri, 03 Dec 2010 14:38:54 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1157As mentioned last month, an audio download edition of Iain M Banks's much-loved Culture novel The Player of Games is out now.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/12/03/player-of-games-audio-download-now-available/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/12/03/player-of-games-audio-download-now-available/Iain M Banks SFX Fannish Inquisitionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/AdkEMA2be9Q/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/22/iain-m-banks-sfx-fannish-inquisition/#respondMon, 22 Nov 2010 14:53:38 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1152You remember a while back we mentioned that UK Sci-Fi magazine SFX was looking for reader-submitted questions to put to Iain? Turns out the resulting interview was published in the October 20th issue of the magazine, and is available on the SFX website as well:

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/22/iain-m-banks-sfx-fannish-inquisition/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/22/iain-m-banks-sfx-fannish-inquisition/Iain Banks on Sky Arts Book Show this Thursdayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/uBOXXozybY4/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/09/iain-banks-on-sky-arts-book-show-this-thursday/#respondTue, 09 Nov 2010 14:30:49 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1146Iain will be one of Mariella Frostrup's guests (along with Bernard Cornwell and Michelle Paver) on the The Book Show, which will be broadcast at 19.00 on Thursday November 11th on Sky Arts 1.

The show will be repeated on Friday 12th at 08.00 and 16.00 on Sky Arts 1, as well as at 17.15 on Friday 12th, 11.15 on Saturday 13th and three times on Thursday 16th, so plenty of opportunities to tune in or to set your Sky+ boxes to record.

And December 2nd is the official release date for the unabridged audio download edition of The Player of Games, once again narrated by the multi-talented Peter Kenny and available from Audible.co.uk and iTunes. Details will be posted on (or around) publication day.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/09/consider-phlebas-audio-download-now-available/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/09/consider-phlebas-audio-download-now-available/Iain M Banks talks to The View From Herehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/cKd2CP4iFW0/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/05/iain-m-banks-talks-to-the-view-from-here/#respondFri, 05 Nov 2010 15:19:39 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1124Mike French, editor of literary magazine The View From Here has been in touch to say:

"We interviewed Iain at the Luton Library Theatre before he went on stage, in a half-hour interview which turned out to be both amusing and insightful. The full interview is only available in our printed and digital editions."

Here's a taster question to whet your appetite:

The View From Here: Is there a grand plan for the Culture, are you taking it somewhere or just having fun with it?

Iain M Banks: "No – and yeah... it will go on until I stop having fun with it and then I will just sort of leave it to be. There's no overall strategic plan and in a sense that is the plan, having no plan is the plan. The plot of the Culture is not going to come to some huge climatic end, well unless I come up with an idea that can only work in those terms but I'll try not to.

"That is, the Culture just keeps on going: it's this society where by now you might have expected it to sublime, to retire from the normal matter base life of the galaxy and the universe and go off into this magical realm. (Which I may have to deal with as I keep getting asked about it these days, so I’m going to have to explain what the hell it is.)

"But it's definitely not doing this, deliberately staying back and surfing the crest instead of going down the wave - it wants to keep on doing good works, it wants to be part of the normal life of the galaxy. So it's deliberately not doing what it’s expected to do. So that theme of continuance, of sticking around – like passiveness, almost bloody mindedness is why it can't just all suddenly come to a big crashing stop and I think eventually it will fade away, but it’s going to leave lots of echoes.

"That was one of the questions today during the Twitter thing which I had to put in quite concise terms: somebody said, will the Culture ever fall? And I said, it’s not going to fall but it will fade and that’s going to leave echoes everywhere. ( Mock evil laughter )"

If you want to read the full interview you'll need to pay The View From Here the princely sum of $1 (one US dollar) or 69p (sixty-nine British pence) for the downloadable pdf edition, or $7.35 / £4.99 for a copy of the print remix.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/05/iain-m-banks-talks-to-the-view-from-here/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/05/iain-m-banks-talks-to-the-view-from-here/Surface Detail Debated by the Scotsman Book Clubhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/NY_Ok6Jq-3g/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/03/surface-detail-debated-by-the-scotsman-book-club/#respondWed, 03 Nov 2010 12:06:00 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1118Iain Banks' latest Culture novel, Surface Detail, was the subject matter of the Scotsman Book Club last month.

Five readers, two of whom (including a former editor of 2000AD) had never encountered a Culture novel before, discuss their reactions over at www.scotsman.com.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/03/surface-detail-debated-by-the-scotsman-book-club/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/11/03/surface-detail-debated-by-the-scotsman-book-club/Photos from the Iain Banks event at Luton Libraryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/uuvBWSGtlwQ/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/28/photos-from-the-iain-banks-event-at-luton-library/#respondThu, 28 Oct 2010 15:53:52 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1099Iain Banks appeared at Luton Library on Tuesday October 18th, reading from his new Culture novel Surface Detail and taking questions from the audience.

Photographer Ben Hodson was there on the night and he took a whole series of fantastic shots of the event, which you can view via his gallery.me.com page.

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/28/photos-from-the-iain-banks-event-at-luton-library/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/28/photos-from-the-iain-banks-event-at-luton-library/Iain Banks talks to Richard Bacon on BBC Radio 5 Livehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/T0mT9kk4wZk/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/20/iain-banks-talks-to-richard-bacon/#respondWed, 20 Oct 2010 08:23:50 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1088Iain was a guest on BBC Radio 5 Live's Richard Bacon show on Monday October 18th (along with Ross Kemp).

You can listen to the whole show until October 25th via the BBC iPlayer (visit the link above and look for the 'Listen Now' link) and the BBC have also extracted the following highlight from the show (Iain talking about his position on evangelical atheism) which is also available on YouTube.

[Heads-up thanks to David H of The Banksonian and huge thanks also to Guy Oldfield of BBC Radio 5 Live for sending through the vid clip]

]]>https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/14/iain-banks-talks-to-tim-haigh/feed/0https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/14/iain-banks-talks-to-tim-haigh/http://www.green-shoot.com/podcast/green-shoot_timhaighreadsbooks_iainbankssurfacedetail.mp3Iain Banks to be Twinterviewed by Waterstoneshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IainBanks/~3/4le7u02DKSA/
https://www.iain-banks.net/2010/10/12/iain-banks-to-be-twinterviewed-by-waterstones/#respondTue, 12 Oct 2010 16:22:49 +0000http://www.iain-banks.net/?p=1052Waterstones Booksellers (@waterstones will be hosting a Twinterview (that's a Twitter-based Interview, for the uninitiated) on 19th October and are inviting questions from members of the Twitter-using public (the Twupblic?)

To propose a question for Iain, tweet it with the hashtag #mbanks and the Waterstone's crew will scoop 'em up and pick the best ones to put to the man himself on the 19th, then tweet the resulting answers.